How to Get Sexy Brazilian...Body Hair

The strange allure of glimmering peach fuzz.

Any dedicated beauty tourist worth her weight in Korean skincare products knows that toting a suitcase full of pharmacy swag past customs is the ultimate mark of a successful holiday. When in London, one ELLE editor never leaves Heathrow without stopping at Boots for codeine. The potent painkiller isn't available in the United States without a prescription. From Brazil, the unofficial hot body capital of the world, a surprising beauty ritual is making its way stateside—no passport needed—just in time for summer: body hair bleaching.

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In the velour tracksuit-wearing, low-rise-jean-obsessed early aughts, smooth Britney Spears "Slave 4 U" abs were the gold standard, which meant waxing everything off. Kim Kardashian is vocal about her dedication to laser hair removal. But in Brazil, a glistening veil of blonde peach fuzz is considered by some to be a mark of beauty.

"Brazilians love the look of soft golden hair against the skin," says Camila Pierotti of Brazilian beauty brand Sol de Janeiro, who has lightened the hair on her thighs, tummy, lower back, arms, and face since she was 13-years-old. "We don't like the feel of stubble, so we never shave. We lighten where we don't wax or laser. It glistens in the sun."

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Sol de Janeiro's three-step lightening system Brazilian Golden Body Veil includes a lightener, an accelerator, and a calming moisturizer for post-bleach skin. In the ELLE.com beauty closet, I blended equal parts lightener and accelerator in a cup, and smoothed the mix on editorial assistant/beautiful lab rat Victoria's arms. "It's definitely working," she said, as the creamy mix slowly lifted the pigment from her arm fuzz.

After ten minutes, Victoria rinsed off to reveal a patch of soft blonde fluff. Next to my hairless forearm, the peach fuzz looked touchable and soft. For the first time since...ever, I wanted body hair of my own.